


ab aeterno (From the eternal)

by BubblyGreenBubbles



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012), Inception (2010)
Genre: Child Death, Kink Meme, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mental Illness, Sexual Scenes, Spoilers, Violence, dub-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-16 13:06:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/539747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubblyGreenBubbles/pseuds/BubblyGreenBubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for The Dark Knight Rises Kink meme. </p><p>Prompt: Eames has obsessive love syndrome and Arthur is the recipient. It's an unrequited love, because Eames just isn't Arhtur's type, plain and simple. Eventually, Arthur quits dreamsharing and becomes John to get away from Eames, who becomes jealous over everyone that Arthur was in contact with and so he kills them.</p><p>Eames is put into the pit and becomes Bane. Coming to the conclusion that he's doing everything wrong, he tries to redeem himself with Talia.</p><p>Coming to Gotham, Bane sees John and the chase begins again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The only time Bane feels comfort from the agonizing pain constantly burning throughout his body is when the doctor replaces the chemical drenched rag and as he holds it to his face and breathes in the fumes he slowly falls asleep. 

Then he dreams of Arthur. He dreams of his voice, his face, everything detail he can remember and then he dreams about ‘them.’ 

The bodies he created to please Arthur. 

He killed Ariadne first. She was young and innocent; it pained him so much to do it. But for Arthur he’d do anything. He tried to be kind, made sure it was quick. The blade of his knife looked beautiful slicing open her lovely pale skin. 

He stood there after and watched as her blood stained her lips and thought about how those same lips had kissed Arthur and then he didn’t feel guilty anymore.  
Then after Ariadne there was Dom, Phillipa and James. After inception when Dom was able to safely return to his children they stayed in their grandparent’s home in France. 

Bane dreams often of the way Arthurs face would light up with joy whenever someone spoke about the children and every time it made his heart clench with joy and envy. An envy that, when he was alone at night, would make his skin burn with anger because he knew that he’d never, not once, made Arthur smile like that. It tore him apart every time. 

They were children after all so he waited till they were sleeping and gently took the pillows from under their heads and covered their faces until they stopped breathing. He’d never thought of himself as cruel man, but even he couldn’t deny the small joy he felt when James gave his final kick. 

When he left the children’s room he didn’t make a sound as he moved through the house. Dom hadn’t heard a thing as he walked up behind him in the lounge room. 

Bane had thought to himself in that moment that Dom had allowed himself to soft and weak now that he wasn’t on the run from an international warrant.  
Every look Arthur had given him, that he held a little too long, always felt like a slow knife in his heart every time he was forced to witness it. 

All the times Arthurs hand would rest gently on Cobbs shoulder as they went over blueprints and reports would make clench his fists at his side as he tried to stay still and quiet, anything to stop him from marching over and ripping Arthur away.

He’d made sure Dom felt it. 

When Bane wrapped his hands around his throat as Dom dozed off in his chair he made sure it was slow and agonizing just like he’d felt every time he watched Dom and Arthur from the background. 

He’d known Arthur was working a job in the tropical country of Santa Prisca so he’d left France immediately to announce the news that there was no longer anyone who could keep them apart. 

If he’d known what was going to happen when he arrived he would have taken the stewardesses offer of the glass of scotch.

\----  
“Hello Darling.”

“Eames.” Arthurs tone was clipped and to the point. 

“A little birdy told me you’re in Santa Prisca. Right around the corner apparently.” 

“And by a little birdy you mean Ariadne?”

Eames held his breath as thoughts of her blood passing through his fingers captivated his mind. 

 

“No.”  
“I don’t mean to be rude but I’m in the middle of something at the moment, so what do you want?” 

“Well like I said I’m in the neighbourhood and I thought we could catch up love.” 

“I’m working so I don’t really have the time. But if you pick up food then I guess I can spare an hour.”

“Brilliant. I’ll be there in twenty.” 

He hears Arthur laugh lightly on the other end. The sound was captivating to Eames. “And where about in Santa Prisca are you going to find take out?”  
“Oh ye of little faith. I shall think of something. Bye Darling.”  
\-----  
When he arrived at the abandoned and derelict hotel that Arthurs new ‘team’ had set up in he could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of all he could do with Arthur now. 

Eames was unaware of who the teams mark was or what the job entailed but he could immediately tell it was taking a lot out of Arthur. 

His shoulders were taught under is tailored waistcoat has he leaned over the desk housing his laptop. It looked as though his fingers were moving a mile a minute across the keys as he typed. His left hand would occasionally come up and run through his hair and tug at it when he reached the nape of his neck. 

It was about ten minutes before Arthur realised he was not the only person in the room. 

“Hello, Mr Eames. I see you managed to find food for us then?” Arthur spoke over his shoulder.

“For you of course.” Eames sat the bagged food he got from his own hotel on the desk Arthur was working at. 

“So to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” 

Eames sat back into one of the deck chairs littered around the room. 

“To give you the good news.”

Arthur sat across from him with a questioning look across his face.

“What good news?”

“They’ve been keeping us apart. All of them, and I couldn’t let them anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Arthurs words were slow, as if speaking to a small child.

“Ariadne, Dom, and the kids they were keeping you from me!” The chair Eames was sitting on flung backwards at his sudden movement. 

To his credit Arthur remind still at the outburst. 

“Eames, what have you done to them? Have you hurt them? Have you hurt Phillipa and James?” 

“They didn’t suffer. I made sure James and Phillipa didn’t feel a thing. They didn’t even wake.” 

“And Ariadne?”

“It was quick. She never cried out.” The way Eames held Arthurs gaze made the younger man squirm back into to chair. 

Arthur was silent for a moment the extent of the situation settling in his mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his totem, a loaded dice, and rolled it out on the ground beside him. It lands on a six and Arthur knows that it is all real. 

“… and Dom.” Arthurs voice was barely above a whisper as he finally looked away.

“He felt it. I made sure of it.” 

“Jesus. Fuck. Why would…. Why Eames?!”

Eames strode across to Arthur and leaned down, one of his arms on each side of Arthurs body locking him down against the chair. His fingers griped tightly around the arm rests of the chair. 

“They were keeping you from me. I couldn’t let them. I did this to make you happy, why aren’t you happy?” 

“You… you… killed them? You killed them for me?”

A bright smile spread across Eames face and he leaned further down into Arthurs space. 

“Yes, Darling, I did. For you. Now we can leave here and we can be together and no one will come between us again.”

“Us?” Arthurs voice is low and shaky.

“You and me. We can be together now just like we always wanted.” 

“There is no you and me and there never will be.” Arthur leaned up, right up to Eames face his tone cold and controlled.

Files were sent flying to the floor, the food crashed against the wall as Eames let his anger out on the objects around him. 

“After everything I’ve done for you! After everything I’ve given for you!”

“You killed them! Why would you think I’d want that? Why would I want you?” 

Arthur was up from the chair standing with his back to the door, his chest heaving as he screamed his words.

“What?” Eames could feel his heart break as Arthur had denied their love. 

“You killed people Eames. People you were supposed to care about…”

“I care about you more.” Eames stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world which, to him, it was. 

“Don’t. Do not interrupt me. Just don’t. You killed Eames. Innocent people and you killed them. You murdered in my name. And for what? Why?”

Eames went to speak up again to remind Arthur once more that it was for them so they could be happy. But Arthur just raised a shaking hand and silenced him with the gesture. 

“You say it was for us. But how could it be. We only have a… a professional relationship at the very best. What us is there?”

Arthur hadn’t known Eames had moved until he found himself pinned against the wall, a strong arm pressed against his throat holding him place. 

“I know you feel the same way I do Arthur. I’ve always known. That’s why I’ve never needed you to say it. But it’s alright now, love. Nobody can or will come between us again. I won’t let them. I love you darling.”

His large, warm hand stroked Arthurs hair as he spoke. 

“Eames you’re hurting me.”

“No I’m not. I’d never hurt you. I’m going to keep you safe I promise. I will never stop trying to keep you safe, love. Never.” 

Arthur’s heart had clenched in fear at the terrifying promise of the one word. 

Never. 

Both fell silent at the sound of people outside the room. The pressure against Arthurs throat tightened and his breathing became laboured.

“Who. Is. That?” Eames ground out everyone word right against Arthurs ear.

The hand stroking Arthurs hand had then moved to the grip his hair tightly pulling his head back forcing him to look Eames in the eyes. 

“Who is that?” 

“I don’t know. I swear I have no idea Eames.” 

The local law enforcement forced its way into the room and immediately set out to pacifying Eames. It had taken five of the men to finally get him down. He’d fought them all in an effort to protect what was his. Just like he’d promised. 

The last moment he’d seen Arthur, he was pushing himself way from the men holding Eames down and moving towards the door.  
\----  
Before he was thrown in the pit, as he came to know it. Eames spent several days being beaten and tortured until he couldn’t even remember his own name.  
But that was the point. No man goes in there as a person. They all go down there as just another nameless man. It’s only once they have earned the respect of others in the jail that they get given a new name, a new identity and a new life to cling to. 

So after days of torture, days without food and very little water the then nameless man was slowly lowered into the deeply dug hell.

The officer that came down with him led him to an empty cell far away from the small light source above them. 

The small cell reeked of blood, piss, and something much worse. He found himself pushed in as the officer walked away; gun trained on any prisoner who dared to approach. 

The cell wasn’t locked but he’d dared not leave. 

In the days following he’d managed to find scraps to fill his aching stomach and less then clean water for his parched throat. 

On one of the few times he ventured outside the three walls and metal cell door he noticed that the other cells were like his own, unlocked. 

All except the one on the left of his. It was always locked when he looked at it. With threadbare curtains covering it from the inside. 

His every moment, awake and dreaming, was filled with thoughts of Arthur. The one thing he’d clung to since his arrival. 

Not his name, not his life, nor his memories. All he clung to was Arthur. It was all he wanted to cling to. 

He worried what had happened to his love. But he always remained grateful that he wasn’t in this hell. 

He would have however given anything for them to be together. 

He did have it all planned. 

Meet Arthur here in Santa Prisca, tell him that they could finally be together after all that time, and then leave to a house he’d set up far away from everyone they know. 

It was going to be perfect.  
But now he’s here and Arthur isn’t.

He was broken from his thoughts and silence when he saw a little hand peek out from under the curtain hiding away the cell next to his. 

He watched as the person, child tried to reach out. A doll he noticed was out in the middle of one of the walkways. 

He’d assumed it was a doll. It was made out of bound sticks and a filthy scrap of fabric tied around it like a dress.

After patting around the ground for a few minutes the child pulled their arm back in without the doll. They couldn’t reach. 

He moved slowly outside his cell and gently took the makeshift toy into his hand and with his other he’d lifted the curtain up slightly and placed the doll on the ground through the bars. 

Before he placed the curtain back down he looked inside and saw a small dirt covered face looking back at him. The child’s eyes were wide with fear. 

He watched as a woman’s arms wrapped around the waist of the child pulling them back and out of his view. 

Later that night, when the sun had past and light no longer broke through the space in the roof above him. 

He was resting against the cell wall he shared with the child when he heard it. In the smallest voice a whisper. 

‘Thank you.’

At the time he didn’t know the language they spoke in. But he would later learn what the child had said to him and cherish it every time she said it to him.  
\-------  
He didn’t see the small child for what he presumed was weeks after that. In the few and far between moments that he didn’t think of his beloved Arthur he thought of the ones who lived next to him. 

He’d not seen any women in the prison when he’d leave the cell for food and water, or on the terrifying nights he was dragged out and beaten for the entertainment of the others. 

He started to assume she was the only woman in the pit and that was why the doctor, also a prisoner here, kept her cell locked.

But what really drove his thoughts mad was how a child could be allowed to suffer in that place. 

One day the constant questions about what lie behind that curtain became too much for him. He’d always had an inquisitive mind and he was desperate for an explanation, he needed it like he needed air. 

So he’d sat outside the lowered curtain and started talking to those inside. 

At first it was just simple things like ‘Hello’ and asking questions about them. 

This lasted two days. Two days with no reply. 

But he had not given up. 

Instead of asking things about them he had started telling them things about himself. 

But a man who no longer has a name has very few memories and thoughts about himself. 

So he spoke about the beautiful American who he knew was out there beyond the hole in their dark sky waiting for him. 

As more days past he’d also learnt more about the language they spoke in the prison. From the other inmates, the child still hadn’t spoken to him again. 

He would spend hours talking about how intelligent his love was – ‘Nobody could compile research on mark like him. Reading his research files was like looking upon a beautiful art piece. No matter how long you looked you could never fault it.’ 

He spoke about how loyal he was – ‘He would have followed Cobb anywhere if it meant helping him get those children back. At first I thought it was Cobb that he was doing it for, but I learnt it was really Phillipa and James he was helping. He has such a kind heart.’

After everything he would tell the child about Arthur he would always finish his talk with, ‘I love him.’

After weeks of talking about Arthur he says it again. 

“I love him.”

“I love him too.”

The small little voice had spoken out to him. The child had lifted the thread bare fabric and was looking straight at him with a smile across their face lighting their eyes. 

He’d learnt enough of the language to know what they’d said and for the first time in a very long time someone other than Arthur had filled him joy.

It was a week later that the doctor had forgotten to lock the cell door. He was high on the fumes from a rag he never let out of his sight. 

That’s when the animals of the pit broke in. 

He’d just managed to pull the child, Talia, away. 

He cradled her as the animals attacked her mother. He tried to soothe her as her sobs grew louder every time the woman’s screams of agony came through to them. 

Talia had fallen asleep in his arms long before her mother’s cries were silenced for good. 

She was silent for days after her mother’s death, but one night as she was rocked to sleep she asked to hear about Arthur again.  
\----  
It had been months since the death of Talias mother when the other inmates finally learnt of her true gender. 

They descended on her just like they did her mother. Bane, as she’d named him, managed to fight them off enough for Talia to start climbing the wall. Once she was out of their reach they turned on him for having stolen their prize. 

As their rough hands started to tear at him he looked up just in time to see Talia look back to him and say, “I’ll find him for us.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta. Pre read by LolaCullenX

It was all planned as a gift. One of the very few things Bane knew about Arthurs personal life was that he had been born and raised in Gotham, and that he’d hated every minute of his existence there. 

Every time a job came up in Gotham Arthur refused however sometimes he would relent. Occasionally they were for CEOs, but mostly it was one mob boss trying to over throw another. Once the mark had been Bruce Wayne and at that point there was no talking Arthur into that job. 

One of the times Arthur had spoken of his life in Gotham he’d commented on the engrained compliance around the rampant crime in the area he lived in and in what could have only been considered an offhand comment of no real merit. He spoke of how pleasant the world might be without that particular blight.

So that was how Bane and Talia had come to their plan regarding Gothams final stand. 

The pair had originally intended to locate Arthur, who it appeared at that point had changed his name, and bring him with them to Gotham to allow him his right of the city begging on its knees before him. 

However it was the death of Talias father that had pushed their intentions forward. 

So without their beloved by their side they moved the plan into action. 

Both of them knew that no matter where he may be, Arthur would see all that they’ve done for him and come to them.   
\----  
Arthur booked himself (bribed a ticket off of an ailing grandmother of nine) a ticket on the first flight out of Santa Prisca. 

At the end of the flight he found himself in Russia. Far away from the monster the forger reveled himself to be and still he didn’t feel it was far enough.

He had no idea what had happened to Eames after he was beaten and dragged from the abandoned hotel and he didn’t want to find out. 

He knew that no matter where he went Eames was always going to be looking for him. 

Or at least the Arthur that Eames knew who doesn’t actually exist. Arthur Lloyd had just been an alias he’d made when he started in dream sharing. His main indenity with about two dozen minor fake alias for if he ever got in trouble. 

But he had no way of knowing which of those two dozen names he knew. None of them were safe.

So Arthur settled on the one name and life that he knew nobody in dream share knew about. 

Robin John Blake. 

His real birth name. 

He would fall back into his old life because how or why anyone, including Eames, in dream share would give a damn about a runaway orphan from Gotham. 

As a child John Blake had wanted to grow up to be a police officer. The idea came to him after his father was shot. He wanted to make sure that men like the ones who killed his father wouldn’t be able to hurt someone else again. So he always thought he’d grow up to be a police officer. 

Unfortunately he either needed college credits, which he could afford, or time in the military to qualify. 

It was while he was in the army that he learnt of dream share and then all thoughts of being an officer left his mind. 

And so he felt that was his best chance at getting away. Taking back a name he abandoned long ago and hiding in a job that would be the last place anyone would look.   
\----  
Blake had been back in Gotham for close to ten years now. After the incident in Santa Prisca he didn’t return straight to Gotham. 

He spent a year creating a trail that should’ve been impossible for Eames to track. After five years and being in almost every country in the world he returned home. 

For ten years he’d been an officer of the GCPD. He’d never aimed to be noticed of promoted. He just blended into the background of the city seamlessly. 

It was only recently that people, Commissioner Gordon, had started to take notice of him. The pair had spoken several times over the last ten years. 

But it was a conversation on the department rooftop about who The Batman really was that caused the commissioner to finally pay attention. 

After that Officer Blake found himself on more call outs that the commissioner would attended, such as the missing congressman who was found in a back alley bar with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Gordon had gone down in the sewers, following armed men from the bar, and wasn’t seen again for an hour. 

He found the Commissioner struggling through the water flowing out of the sewer. 

“Army… army in the… the sewers.” 

The Commissioner was losing blood quickly and falling in and out consciousness. Whenever he came to again he was telling anyone around, anyone who would listen about what he saw down there. 

Everyone in the force below Gordon but above Blake was ignoring everything the Commissioner told them about the army of mercenaries below the streets of Gotham on the word of Deputy Commissioner Foley. 

No matter who he asked, who he spoke to, or who he yelled at no one would lift a finger to do a thing about the army. 

The only help Blake received was the heavily sarcastic deposit of a torch and sewer maps on his desk the following morning. 

Refusing to sit back and allow Foley to rip the GCPD from under Gordon, Blake turned to the only man he knew would be able to help.

Bruce Wayne. 

The morning after Blake made his way over to Wayne Manor. At first he’d been told he couldn’t see Bruce but after a thinly veiled threat about Harvey Dent he’d been let in.

“What can I do for you Officer?”

“Commissioner Gordon’s been shot. He chased a gunman down into the sewers. When I pulled him out he was babbling about an underground army and a masked man called Bane.”

Wayne stood across from him leaning against his cane. 

“Should you be telling your superior officers this?”

After letting out an exasperated sigh he answered, “They asked me if he saw any giant alligators. He needs you… needs the Batman.”

Of course Wayne had tried to deny what John knew but the officer wouldn’t budge. Gotham needed Batman and he was going to make sure Batman knew it.   
\----  
John was seated, with three dozen other officers and 9 higher up, in one of the conference rooms in the department building going over the security footage from the Stock Exchange Heist the night before. 

Bane moved quickly across the screen knocking the guards at the security gate out. 

“Christ, would you look at the size of that guy.” The officer four chairs down to the left of Blake spoke up. 

“Hey, Johnson, maybe if you laid of the burgers and did more on for pursuits you’d look like that.” An officer up the back of the room shouted out. 

“Your missus don’t seem to mind about my extra middle. At least she didn’t say anything this morning.” 

The room flared up in laughter at the second officer’s expense. 

Blake just continued to watch the screen. 

Several armed men shooting indiscriminately into the crowded floor area of the exchange. 

He leaned forward as Bane’s form came onto the footage. 

He was taking slow calculated steps among the crowd of cowering people. He knew he was being watched, when it happened. 

After the room finally quietened down from the laughter John spoke up, “What companies did this effect?”

Foley responded after a brief pause, “Not companies, company.”

“What one?”

“We haven’t been able to find yet. All we know is that they only went after one. Why?”

John stood up and walked to the front of the room, standing before Foley. 

“Because if this Bane is who we think we his. Then he’s not much more than a hired gun? So we find out what company they hacked. Figure out if that company is going bankrupt, look into insurance policies this might cover. See if the company had any powerful enemies, people interested in buying, interested enough to go to this length for a hostile takeover. Figure out who hired him and work it back from there.” 

The entire room had fallen silent and every eye was trained on Blake. 

“What’s your name again?” Foley spoke up, leaning with one arm against a large table pushed to the front of the room. 

“John. Officer John Blake.”

“We’re going to the hospital to see the commissioner and you’re going to tell him what you just told us.”   
\-----  
Back when John was in dream share and he was Arthur he’d always strived to be the best in the business and at everything else he did. 

So after years of blending into the background and never being noticed John stood at the foot of the police Commissioners hospital bed and decided that he wasn’t going to be one of the countless, he was going to be noticed. 

After repeating everything he said in the conference room Jim spoke up, “I want the Detective looking in to this straight away.”

Even with the stiff sheets engulfing his body Jim still had an intimidating presence.

“Which Detective, Sir?”

“Blake, it was his idea, so let him do the leg work for it” 

The room feel quiet and all eyes were on the officer, just like he thought he wanted. 

“I’m not…”

“You are now, son. Now I won’t a report on everything you find by the of the day. We can’t waste any more time on this one.” 

Finding out everything he could about Bane and his underground army had only taken John half the day, after all research used to be his whole career.   
After completing the file, he made his way across the city back to Jims hospital room. 

“Daggett, Sir.” 

“Who is that again?”

“John Daggett, owner and CEO of Daggett Industries. Inherited the company from his father

Interestingly his vice in the company, a Phillip Stryver was found unconscious at the bar we found the congressman in. 

No charges were laid in relation to the kidnapping. We couldn’t prove anything. 

As if the vice president of the company being in a bar filled with the men you chased into the sewers wasn’t suspicious enough.”

Jim, propped against the head of the bed, paused from looking through the file John gave him and looked up. 

“Why wasn’t he charged with anything? Was he even brought in for questioning?”

“No, he wasn’t. He was taking straight to the hospital and by the time he woke up a small army of lawyers was in the waiting room. We couldn’t get near him.” 

“And was he the only one there?”

“No, I helped a woman out of the bar, who at the time I thought was just a bystander caught up in it all. I realised later it was Selina Kyle.”

“She never gives up does she?”

“Appears not, Sir.”

“Any idea where she is?”

“Not exactly. As you know she’s a difficult lady to keep a track of. That being said it is most likely she’s in Old Town.”

Jim let out a long sigh before responding, “That doesn’t really narrow it down does it?”

“Not really.” Johns mouth is pulled into a tight lipped grimace. 

“Apart from a pile of circumstantial evidence and an alley full of dead ends how exactly does this tie Bane in with Daggett and then Daggett with the Stock Exchange heist?” 

Blake moved to the side of Jims bed and flipped several of the pages in his meticulous report until he found the right one.

“About a year ago, little more a coup happened in Africa. Given the area most officals either didn’t care or were paid not to. But one of the indirect results of it was the bankruptcy of one of the companies rival to Daggetts. Again like all of this, it’s pure circumstance, but when you,” John flipped a few more pages again before coming to an accounting report, “A week before the coup started Daggetts company poured a small fortune into a charity program.”

“Well that’s cause the charity is a fake. It’s a front, nothing more than a paper trail that goes nowhere."

A small smile pulls across Jims face. 

“And again how does the coup in Africa tie Bane back to Daggett and the Stock Exchange?”

John could tell by the tine in the older man’s voice that he’d already figured all this out from the paper work. 

This was now a test. 

“It was an army of mercenaries lead by Bane that created the coup.”

“And?”

“And so based on everything I found we can draw the conclusion that Daggett hired Bane in Africa and after that was a success hired Bane again to get control of the stocks of Bruce Waynes company so that then to save his fortune Wayne will have to give it to Daggett.”

“And can you find a way to prove this without a doubt?”

“No… It’s really just all circumstance.” 

“No such thing.” Jim muttered. 

“What?” 

“No such thing as a coincidence rookie.” The way Jim said it made John feel as though he was a five year old. 

“So I’ll go find concrete proof. It has to be here somewhere amongst all this.” John gestured to all the paper work spread across the hospital bed. 

John sat in his car in the parking lot of the hospital looking at stills from the Exchange security footage. 

He’d spent ten minutes staring at the photo that showed Bane looking straight at the camera. He could look away. For some reason he could pin point the picture made him think of Eames for the first time in years. 

He decided it was the eyes. Banes eyes reminded him on Eames, and that deeply disturbed him.   
\------  
Daggett was found dead, Selina Kyle was arrested, Bruce Wayne was missing and still John Blake was no closer to figuring out why Bane and his army where in Gotham. 

Gordon had ordered that every officer go underground until every soul down there was accounted for and told Blake to investigate further into Daggett industries. 

It was on his way back, after accidently shooting two witnesses, that the street around him exploded from underneath sending his car flying. 

Once his car settled back on the ground John grabbed a hold of his police radio and called into Foley.

Foleys voice broke through, the sounds of crashing and people screaming, on the police radio.

“Jesus, Blake, every cop in the city is down in those tunnels.”

Panic gripped his entire body as he replied, “not every cop.”

With a shot gun in hand Blake commandeered a vehicle and speed off towards the hospital. 

By the time he made it to Jims room there was already two dead mercenaries on the floor. The Detective and the Commissioner made their way out of the hospital and to Johns apartment in the Narrows.   
\-------  
A week after Bane took control of Gotham, Blake and Gordon had moved into an abandoned house on the outskirts of Gotham with a dozen other officers.   
Lucius Fox and Miranda Tate had joined them two days prior. 

Whenever John saw her, Miranda was staring at him with a small smile on his face. At first he thought it was nothing but after two days it had really started to get on his nerves and make him anxious. 

It was after a meeting with the remaining officers of Gotham, Fox, and Tate about the timeframe on the bomb that Miranda finally found him alone.   
“You’re everything I’d always pictured you being.” Her voice was soft and accent prominent. 

“I’m sorry what?” John had thought he was alone in the house until he heard her. 

“You. He would tell me about you for hours every day. I always dreamed of leaving the pit and finding you. And when I escaped you were nowhere to be found.”  
“What are you talking about? Who told you about me?” 

She walked up to him and John moved back until he hit the wall. She gently stroked his face with her hand.   
“He is going to be so happy I found you, Arthur.” 

Miranda’s hand moved to grip the front of his hair and beat his head against the wall until he lost consciousness.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Beta.

When John awoke it was to a splitting migraine. 

“Miranda? What… what” His words became caught in his throat as he started to take in his new surroundings. 

He was lying on a plush bed and the room was well lit. 

He felt Miranda’s’ small delicate hands holding one of his own, she was trying to comfort him with softly spoken words.

“It’s alright, Arthur. Do not rush yourself.”

“What… did… you do… to me?” John had to take in large breathes to move through the pain in his head enough to talk. 

“I am sorry, Darling. Truly. I didn’t want to hurt you but we needed to leave quickly. But give it time and everything will be fine, Arthur.” Miranda had let go of his hand and was then leaning over him with her left hand cupping his cheek. 

“Stop calling me that. My name is John.” 

Miranda went tense and opened her mouth to speak before she was interrupted by a deep, mechanical voice from the corner of the room. 

“You do not need to hide anymore. Not now that we are finally together.” 

Miranda moved back as John pushed himself up, he leaned back on his outstretched arms, so he could get a look at the third person in the room. 

“Bane? No, no. Miranda what are we doing here? With him?” Johns words came out in a terrified rush. 

“Oh my Darling, don’t panic. You’re safe here, with us.” Miranda went to reach out to him, but Blake pushed her away as he attempted to get off the bed. 

He found himself on his knees, gripping the sides of his head because of the pain throbbing in his head from getting up too quickly. 

The other two people in the room both moved to help him up. 

“No. Get the fuck away from me!” 

He rolled onto his back, panting, pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes trying to get rid of the pounding pain. 

“Just don’t. Please.” Johns voice came out as a harsh whisper, barely audible.

He heard footsteps move across the room. He didn’t bother to speak this time. 

Johns hands moved quickly from his eyes and he looked over Banes body, straddling his own. 

Warm, heavy hands cupped both his cheeks; the gesture calmed him for an unknown reason. John looked past the mask into Banes eyes, their familiarity making him hold his gaze. 

“I promised you I’d keep you safe, Arthur. I promised you I’d never stop trying and I didn’t.”

Realization and disbelief set in Johns mind and his panic begins anew. 

John opened and closed his mouth unable to form any words and eventually he managed to mouth out ‘Eames.’

“Yes, Darling.” It all seemed so normal to Arthur, he’d been called that a thousand times. But the voice, mechanical through the mask, is off and made the whole endearment sound unnatural. 

“That’s not possible.” 

“It’s perfectly possible.” 

John just looked at him and briefly turned to look at Miranda, and saw she looked as if she was going to cry, and reached past Banes thighs on either side of him to get in to his pocket. 

He pulls out his old totem; he hadn’t needed it in years, and rolled it out on the floor beside him. It landed on a six and he knew, however unlikely it seemed, that it was all real and happening. 

“Get off me.” John tried to make his voice sound firm and commanding, but he knew that he fell far from the mark. 

It was a minute before Banes large form lifted off of him and he could sit up.

The room is silent before Miranda finally spoke up, “How’s your head. Would you like some water? A Tylenol?”

“I want to know how this happened? What this is? Eames, why are you like… like that?” John gestured wildly towards Bane at his last question and before he could ask anymore he was cut off. 

“Do not address me by that name, Arthur.”

“What happened to you after Santa Prisca, Bane?” He spat out the last word as though it burnt his mouth. 

“Hell.” 

“What?” John was sure that the repeated blows to the head did brain damage because nothing about his situation was making sense to him.

“There is a prison in Santa Prisca, Arthur, which is truly hell on earth. It is in that pit that they threw him, and where he found and saved me. He told me about you, every day. Living in a place like that there is very little hope, but knowing of his love for you gave me hope.” Mirandas words were softly spoken; clearly she made a careful effort not to startle John. She’d moved to kneel beside him, enough distance still between them for him to be comfortable. 

“His love for me?” John felt an anger that had been building and burning inside of him, for years, finally burst out from him. “That man is a monster! He doesn’t know love! He murdered people, Miranda, children and told me it was out of love. That is not love, at least no love I want, that’s just a cold hearted killer looking for a logical outlet.” 

The loud sound of Miranda’s hand connecting across Johns face in a sharp slap fills the room. 

John just sat there staring at her, all his words where caught in his throat, shock clear across his face as he cradled his now red cheek. 

Miranda took the opportunity of his stunned silence to continue her story. 

“I was born in the pit, Arthur. My mother was sent down there while pregnant with me for a crime that wasn’t her own. For our safety our cell was the only one that was locked, the key was kept by a doctor who was also imprisoned.” Her voice was sad as she spoke, her gaze cast towards the floor. She was silent for a moment as she thought over her words before continuing, “One night, several months after Bane was taken from you the doctor became intoxicated on the few medicines allowed in the prison and in his state the keys to our cell where taken. Then men, animals, pulled my mother away from me and attacked her on the open floor for all to see. They fought among each other for a chance to take her. Bane saved me from them. He held me as I cried listening to her screams. Eventually they came for me, months later, and Bane fought them off so I could escape at great cost to himself.” 

She looked towards Bane and John could clearly see the look of devotion in her eyes.

“He cared for me. He had no reason to but he did. And he risked his life to help me escape. Does that sound like a monster to you Arthur?” Miranda’s gaze never left Banes face as Bane stared straight at John. 

John opened and closed his mouth several times before he stiffly shook his head. 

“Why are you here?” John finally looked directly at Bane. 

“For you.” 

“But you didn’t know I was here. Right?” The officer had an inquiring look across his face. 

“No, we did not. We had intended for Gotham to be a gift for you. You’d once told me of your displeasure with this city. A city on its knees before you as you truly deserve.” Nobody could deny the passion in Banes voice as he spoke of his and Talias plan. 

“You’ve attacked a city? For me?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why would you do that? You know how I felt last time you did something for me.” All of Johns words we laced with spite. 

“You didn’t understand then. And you don’t understand now. But it doesn’t matter because you will.” The tone in Banes voice was one that would normally leave no room for argument, but John was having none of that. 

“I don’t want to understand. I don’t want any of this. I never wanted anyone of this. And I sure as hell do not want to be with you. Just because you chose to save one child does not redeem you from the two you killed. You are a monster. And I will have nothing to do with it. I won’t let you commit genocide for me. Now let me go.” John chest was heaving by the time he finished yelling at Bane. 

“You’ve always been able to leave if that is what you wanted.” Miranda spoke up with a gesture towards the door. 

With unsure movements he slowly made his way towards the door. He didn’t look back towards the other two occupants of the room as he left. The corridor outside was empty. The stairwell was empty as well, as he tentatively made his way down the stair, each echoing footstep pounding in his still aching head. 

He left the high rise building without setting sight on another person, and he was grateful for it. 

Bane stood at the window of the room looking at the ground down below, watching Arthur walk away. Once he was out of sight he left the room and went to find his second in command. 

“I need you to follow him.” 

“Should he know I’m following?” Barsad asked. 

“Not unless he needs protection. Otherwise you’ll be nothing more than his second shadow.”

Barsad gave a quick nod to his leader before he moved off to find the police officer.

By the time he made it back to Gordon the constant throbbing in his head had moved down to a dull ache. 

“Blake, where did you go? I’ve had officers out looking for you. We’ve all been worried. What happened?” Gordon bombarded him with questions the moment he walked through the safe house door. 

“We need to leave now.” John told him, ignoring all the older man’s comments. 

“Why?” 

“Miranda. She’s with Bane. We can’t stay here. We need to go somewhere she doesn’t know.” John saw Lucius’ face fall with shock as he spoke. 

“How do you know?” John could tell Gordon didn’t believe him, or at least didn’t want to believe him. 

“She attacked me and took me to him.” 

“Miranda Tate attacked you?” Jim spoke the words slowly. As though he wasn’t sure he heard correctly.

“She… is quick, alright. Took me by surprise.” 

One of the other officers in the room, Anders, spoke up, “Why’d she take you to Bane. If she attacked you why didn’t she just kill you?” 

John was silent and then leaned into Jim to whisper in his ear, “Can I talk to you privately about that. That isn’t something the others need to know about. Please.” The last word came out as more of a plead than John is proud of.

Jim looked at the others and then just gave a stiff nod. The two left to go talk in the room at the farthest end of the house. 

“Before I came to Gotham,” John to in a deep breath while h pinched the bridge of his nose, “I word in something called dream sharing. Mostly illegal. But we don’t need to get into that. I worked with a man called Eames. He was as self-assured as he was annoying to be honest. At first he’d ask me to have a drink with him after work. Then it quickly escalated. It wouldn’t matter what city I was in, he’d somehow always show. 

“Then when I was working a job in Santa Prisca he called me and asked if we could meet up. I stupidly said yes. Then he told me he’d murdered four people, in cold blood, because he perceived that they were keeping us apart.”

John made a brief choking sound in the back of his throat. “Children. Two of them were children. James and Phillipa, they were beautiful. And he killed them because of me. Just like he’s doing this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eames is Bane. I know that sounds insane. But it’s true. He must have changed his name, and pretty much everything else when he was caught for the murders.” 

“Okay. I don’t think you’re crazy son. You’ve just got to understand that this is a lot to take in.” 

John scoffed at that. He understood fine. 

“Do you know why he’s doing this, Blake?” 

“This is all some fucked up gift to me apparently. I’m so sorry, Jim. For all of this. I’m so very sorry.” John violently ran his hands though his hair in frustration over his entire life up until that point. 

“You have to go back.” Gordon told him, his voice distant. 

“No. I will not go anywhere near that man.” 

“I know how much danger you would be putting yourself in. But I’m asking, begging, you to go back. You’re in a very unique position in all of this, John. Use it to get us an advantage. Find out what you can to help. Please.” 

Blake started pacing the room, shaking his head before he stopped abruptly and stood mere inches away from the Commissioner and said, “If you ever saw the way he looked at me you wouldn’t be asking me to do this.” 

And then he turned around and left the safe house. Heading back towards the tower he’d just left.  
\-----  
By the time John makes it back to the building Bane was in, it is no longer deserted. He sees men standing around the front. He knows that Eames, Bane would never let any of the men in his army harm him. 

He hopes so. 

If not at least he has an excuse not to see Bane again. 

John walks confidently towards the tower, he’s at the stairs when one of the men raises a gun at him and speaks, “What do ya think you’re doin’?” 

“I’m here to see Bane.” 

The mercenary with the gun let out a booming laugh. “Hear that boys. He wants to see the boss. Well then by all means mate just go on in.” 

The other men surrounding them join in on his laughter. 

The armed man hit John in the stomach with the butt of his gun and went in for another go when a shot rang out throughout the street. 

“Do not lay a hand on him unless you wish to die a very painful death by Banes hands, or worse Talia’s.” Barsad walked out from where he was watching John behind a corner of a nearby building. He lowered his gun as he got closer to the officer and the mercenaries. 

“Detective, please come with me. I’ll take you to Bane.”

John followed him up to the top of the building. He knocked on the door and then stepped back patiently. Miranda answered. 

“Arthur. You came back.” 

“Yeah. I just need some time to myself to wrap my head around all of this.” John gestured weakly towards her and the room he knew Bane was still in. 

“When he returned there was an altercation with some of the men on the ground floor.” Barsad spoke directly to Miranda, but never reached her gaze. 

Miranda went to respond but was interrupted by Bane. 

“Kill them.” 

“No. They never touched me. You can’t kill them.” Bane watched John stand up to him with a curious look in his eyes. The tone of his voice, and the way he is carrying himself standing close to him reminds him of the Fisher job when Arthur defended himself against Cobbs accusations about how he handled the job. 

“Arthur. These men intended to harm you. I will not allow anyone to hurt. They will be killed and it will guarantee that no one will try it again.” 

“You love me don’t you?”

“Yes…” Arthur interrupts him before he can continue. 

“And you would do anything and everything I ask you?” 

“Yes.” Bane knew to keep his answer short this time. 

“Then I am telling you not to kill them.” Johns voice was as commanding and unwavering as the look he was giving Bane. 

“You may leave. But should you or any other go near him you will be beginning for death before I even start punishing you.” John found himself unable to look away from Bane hands. Watching them clench and unclench trying to control the anger coming of him in waves. 

Then quickly scurried out of the room and not a single one of them dare to look up at John. 

After the men left Barsad followed silently he gave no more than a quick nod in the direction of his leader. Miranda ran her hand along Johns shoulder as she followed behind Barsad. 

Bane walked up to John and ran the fingers of his right hand along his face, taking all his features. 

“You haven’t changed.” Bane left the room and headed back up the hall before John could reply. 

The officer waited in the empty room. Taking the privacy as an opportunity to remind himself why he was there and to not turn around and run away until his legs collapsed from under him. 

When he arrived back in the room at the end of the hall Bane was sitting back in a large chair with a book in hand. 

“You came back?” Bane asked, mirroring Miranda earlier words. 

“Yeah.” 

“Why?” Bane still was still looking down at his book. 

“Because I want to be with you too.” The lie left his mouth quickly. 

John didn’t need to be able to see all of Banes face to be able to tell he was smiling. His eyes were bright and looking all over Johns face trying to confirm it’s all real. 

Out of the corner of his eye John catches the movement, a red poker chip moving through Banes fingers. 

“You’re not dreaming, Eames.” John words stop immediately when he sees the chilling look Bane was giving. “You’re not dreaming, Bane. This is real. I’m real.” 

“Yes you are.” 

“You wanted to kill those didn’t you?” 

“I would have crushed their throats in my hands just for thinking about bringing you harm. I told you I would never stop trying to keep you safe.” 

Bane let out a sigh that became distorted through his mask and made him appear as more of a monster in Johns eyes. 

Bane continues talking, “And I will never stop trying to please you. That is why I did not kill them.” 

“This has been a very trying day and I’m exhausted. Join me?” 

Banes movements were apprehensive as he made his way towards the made bed and John. He stopped at the end of the bed to take his wool jacket and armoured vest off. He wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath. 

John sat up on the bed and took a moment to take in Banes newly revelled skin. He knew Eames, Bane had gained muscle, lots of it, since they last saw each other but he never realised how much until that moment. 

He got up and crawled halfway across the large bed and sat back on his heels running both his hands over Banes built chest. 

A visible shudder ran through Bane before he quickly grasped both of John’s delicate wrists in his large hands and told him, “I’ve dreamt of you like this for years, even after I lost the ability to dream, this desire stayed with me.” 

“Lie down on the bed. I’m going to show you something I dreamt of once.” 

Bane did as he what John told him and lied down on the bed and looked at him expectantly. 

Johns hands worked quickly at the fly and buttons of Banes cargo pants and with a strong pull he got them past his knees. 

“It happened the morning after our third job together. Remember, the one in Wellington. You’d spent the entire prep time with a toothpick in your mouth. I came to loathe that toothpick.” 

Johns hands ran along Banes thighs while Bane stroked the back of Johns neck and along his shoulder. 

“So after the job was finished and I was back in hotel room, I had a dream where I ripped that god awful toothpick from your mouth and the forced your mouth onto my cock. 

Now obviously the mask causes a few… logistical issues in re-enacting that particular dream. Which is a shame, because I have always thought those lips would have been prefect around my dick.” 

Bane let out a rumbling moan from deep in his chest at the other man’s words. 

“So we’ll have to change the rolls around a bit.” 

In the time John had been talking Bane had become hard and John had started running his hand along Banes length. 

Kneeling between Banes thighs John leaned down and ran his tongue over the underside of the mercenaries cock and as his tongue ran back up his mouth engulfed the head of Banes cock in his mouth. 

Banes fingers grasped painful at Johns hair forcing his mouth down further and making him move faster while he said ‘Arthurs’ name over and over again.  
John took it all, and he fought back the urge to gag around him. 

Bane lifted his hips of the bed causing him to hit the back of Johns throat as he came. 

Blake stayed kneeling between Banes legs gasping and trying to catch his breath before Bane pulled his arms to lie him down on the bed. 

Bane quickly pulled his pants back on before he laid up against John, back to stomach and spoke right against his ear, “I’ll never let you go again.”


	4. Chapter Four

The room was filled with the sounds of sweat covered skin slapping together, the rasping breath coming through Banes mask, and the occasional groan coming from the bed as their bodies moved a top it. 

Blake’s nails dug into the heavy muscle of Banes shoulders as he thrust inside the larger man. His movements were fast and shallow aiming only for his pleasure.   
Blakes breath started coming out in fast paced gasps. 

He collapsed against Banes back after he came with a shout. 

After pulling out, John laid down on the bed beside Bane. With one hand stroking Johns arm, Bane looked down at him. 

John didn’t look back. 

“You’re ready for everything we’ve prepared for you?” Bane told him. 

“We?”

“Talia and I.”

“I can almost understand why you’re doing all this for me.” John spat the last word out. “But I don’t understand why she is.” 

Bane lifted his hand to hold the side of Johns face, he tried to pull away, and told him, “You’re the only good man she’s ever known.” 

“That is fucking ridiculous.” John pushed Banes hand away and got up from the bed. 

He hated every moment Gordon was forcing him to spend with Eames, he hates calling him Bane more. 

It makes him sick to his stomach every time he has to listen to Miranda, Talia, talk about the stories Eames would tell her in the pit. 

He hated knowing that, for years, Eames was paying that much attention to him and he never noticed. It made him wonder what else the other man had noticed. It also made him wonder how much he had noticed in the four months they’d been together. 

John walked around the room collecting his clothes and getting dressed. If he was asked he wouldn’t be able to say why he was sleeping with Bane. He’d probably just say if he’s being forced to spend time with the man he might as well get something worthwhile out of it. 

“Where are you going?” John mentally kicked himself for asking. He shouldn’t, doesn’t care. 

Bane was fully dressed again and heading towards the door. 

“The courts.” Was all he said before he slammed the door behind him. 

John was alone in the room for over an hour before he heard a gentle knocking at the door. 

“Whoever it is you can just fuck off.” 

“I never expected such poor language from you Arthur.” Talia quietly made her way through the door and stood in the centre of the room. 

“That’s because I’m not Arthur.” John muttered but he could tell by the grimace on Talia’s face she heard him.

“Bane said you were ready and that you had accepted that this is who you are. But I fear he is wrong. And that giving you this may be a pre mature act.” 

“Giving me what?” John chose to ignore the comment about how he was. He knew who he was. John Blake. Not Arthur. He would never be Arthur again. 

“The key to your kingdom.” Talia opened her hand to him. 

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes, Arthur.” 

“You had it all along. You’re the citizen.” 

“Yes. But now it is ours. As we always intended it to be.” 

John reached out and took the trigger in his hand. He held it gently; terrified that even the slightest jolt would blow them all to hell. 

“And what am I supposed to do with this?” John started to panic that they would force him to destroy the city. 

“What you deem best. This is your city now Arthur. Rule it how you see fit.” Talia placed a delicate kiss on his cheek before she left. Only turning back once to say, “I am so happy he was able to see you again before the end.” 

John sat on one of the plush chairs in the room staring at the trigger in his hands for what felt like hours. 

It felt like it was burning itself into his skin. He stopped himself when he started running his thumb over the edge of the button. 

The power of it all was too much for him so he set it on the desk at the far end of the room where he could forget about it. 

But he didn’t forget about it. 

He sat on the edge of the bed. His head in his hands, elbows on his knees as he just started at the trigger. 

John got up quickly with the intention of taking the trigger to Gordon. He would know what to do with it.

John hears the door open behind him. 

“What is it now Talia?” 

“I’m not Talia.” Banes voice, even though the mask, was reminiscent of Eames joking tone. 

“Sorry, she was here before.”

“No doubt to give you our gift.” 

“Yes.” John cast another glance towards the desk with the trigger. 

“And what will you do with it?” 

“I don’t know.” 

Bane didn’t say anything in return, he just moved to stand behind John and started running his hands along John’s fingers, wrists, up his arms and along his shoulders. Banes hands came to rest gently around John’s throat. He quickly dropped his hands to grasp Johns again. 

Bane moved him towards the bed. 

“Don’t.” 

He didn’t stop. He pushed Blake onto the bed by his shoulders. 

“I’m serious. I don’t want to.” 

When he had John lying flat on his back he grasps both his ankles and settled his body between Johns legs. 

“Bane. Get of me. I don’t want to.” 

Blake felt all the air leave his lungs as Banes large hand clenched at his throat. 

“What… are you… doing?” He managed to get out between gasping breaths. 

“I have given you everything I have and then fought to give you more. I forced a city to its knees to please you and all I asked for in return was you.” The tone in Banes voice made John hold still. He stopped kicking and fighting against Banes grip. 

Banes hold loosened only slightly, but enough for John to talk again. 

“You could give me the world and it still wouldn’t be enough to make me want you.” 

John’s vision started to tunnel and his lungs started to burn as Banes grip became punishingly tight. 

“Please.” He managed to stutter out and Banes grip became impossibly tighter again before he let go completely. 

John gulped down large breaths and brought himself into a coughing fit. 

He crawled away from the bed towards the door with tears blurring his sight. As he reached out for the door knob Bane came to stand in front of him. 

“Leave.” 

John didn’t wait for Bane to change his mind before he pushed himself up and all but ran out the door. 

By the time John found the new hideout the officers were staying in it was well past nightfall and the burning in Johns lungs had gone. 

“You alright, son?” Gordon handed him a glass of water as he sat down across from him in the almost bare room. 

“I’ve had better days to be honest.” 

“You know I’m sorry about putting you through this John. But we need all the help we can get and frankly you’re the only help we’ve got. Did you manage to find out anything useful since we last spoke?” 

“Talia or Miranda was the citizen.” 

“Was the citizen? With the trigger?”

John just nodded. 

“What do you mean was? Who is now?”

“I am.” John started reaching around inside his pockets until he realised he’d left the trigger in the room. With Bane. 

“Well where is it?” Gordons voice was pure anger. He knew John didn’t have it with him. 

“I must have left it behind. I was in a rush when I left.” 

Gordon stays silent for several minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Obviously trying to calm himself. 

“You have to go back.” His voice was calmer. 

“I can’t got back he nearly killed me.” 

“You have to. You have to get the trigger back.” 

John didn’t bother arguing this time. He just got up and walked out of the room and head into the direction of the building Bane and some of his men were staying in. 

The closer John got the angrier he started to feel. He knew he was never going to get away from Eames. He knew that he was always going to be dragged kicking and screaming into being Arthur. And there was no way out of it. No escape from the hell he knew he didn’t deserve. 

No escape from Gotham. 

No escape from Talia. 

And no escape from Bane. 

As he stood on the footsteps of the building John knew what he was going to do. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.” John stood awkwardly in the door frame with Banes back turned to him. 

“You did.” Bane looked over his shoulder at him and in that moment John could see the same look of pain in Eames eyes that he saw that night in Santa Prisca. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why did you come back?” Bane was facing him then. 

“I figured out a way for all this to be over. So that we can be together just like you want.” 

John walked over to the desk. The trigger was right where he left it. He played with it between both hands as he spoke. 

“Killing everyone from the team wasn’t enough to keep us together. Raising a child to adore me was never going to make me happy. And giving me a city isn’t enough. But I know what is.” 

John reached down into his pocket to pull out his old totem. He rolled it only the surface of the desk and didn’t look down at it when it stopped before he pressed down on the trigger button.


	5. Chapter Five - Bonus Chapter

Johns vision was blurred as he slowly opened his eyes. The light caused him to flinch before his adjusted. 

His first thought was that he’d somehow managed to survive the blast, but then he thought if he survived than surely Bane did his as well. 

In a panic John jumps up looking for Bane and found himself lying on a lawn chair in a sparse warehouse. 

“How was it?” He knew that voice. It was Ariadne, but it couldn’t have been. She was dead. John started to think that he didn’t survive the blast and he really was dead. 

“Arthur? How was it?” There was the voice again, so like Ariadnes it hurt him. 

John looked all around the room, his eye sight starting to clear again as he took everything in. He could barely make out the shapes of two other people in the room

“I’ll add disorientation as one of the side effects, but considering the strength of the dream state that isn’t all that surprising.” The new voice sounded like Yusuf. As far as John had known Yusuf was still alive. Eames hadn’t gotten to him. 

“How long will it last?”

“No way of telling. We’ll have to wait till he can talk to us before we know if the trail run worked or not.” 

The voices become clearer and he could see properly. He saw Ariadne walking towards him and immediately went for the loaded dice in his pocket. 

“Arthur, are you okay?” She asked him. 

“Don’t call me that. It’s not my name.” His voice was shaking as he spoke. 

We watched careful as Ariadne looked over at Yusuf with worry clear across her face. Yusuf just shrugged and went back to writing down notes about Arthurs reaction. 

“Yes it is. Arthur Lloyd. That’s your name.” Ariadnes voice was soft and her words slow as if either of those things would immediately make him understand what she was saying. 

“No, it’s not. I’m John. John Blake.” Ariadne cast another worried look at Yusuf who then finally pulled himself away from his notes to move over to Arthur. 

“Is that the persona you had in the dream? John Blake?” There was a curious tone that was undeniable in Yusufs voice. 

“What dream?”

Silence fell over the warehouse as both Ariadne and Yusuf just stared at Arthur. John just looked back and forth between the two before he started to look around the open room. 

“Where is he?” John broke the silence first. 

“Who?” Ariadne looked around to trying to find whoever he was talking about. 

“Bane.”

“Who or what is ‘Bane’?” John shot Yusuf a confused look at the question. 

“Okay. Where’s Eames?” John finally moved himself off the lawn chair and pulled the PASIV injection needle out of his arm. Letting it fall to the floor at his feet.

“In Mombasa I suspect.” John could tell by the way Yusufs gaze kept darting back to his notebook he was desperate to record all of Johns actions. 

“So he’s not here? He wasn’t hooked up with me?” 

“No. Why did you see him in the dream?” Yusuf didn’t even try to hide the excitement in his voice as he ran back to his notebook. 

“Yes. But I wasn’t dreaming. It was real.” 

“How do you know it was reality?” Yusuf seemed genuinely interested. 

“Because my totem told me.” 

“Have you tried your totem since you woke up?” Yusuf barely glanced up from his notebook.

“No.” 

Yusuf silently gestured for him to do it while John looked over at Ariadne who’d stayed silent at this point. 

John reached into him pocket and pulled out the dice and rolled it along the surface of the nearest desk. It stopped on the four. 

John felt conflicted. He knew it was wrong. It was meant to be a six for reality. But he couldn’t be sure.

“If it was dream why does it seem so real? Why can I remember how I got there? Why was nothing strange?” 

Ariadnes voice was hardly above a whisper as she said, “It worked. Yusuf, you’ve created the perfect dream compound.” 

“What are you talking about?” Johns anger over the situation was rolling off him in waves. 

“Arthur…” Ariadne stops short at the low growl John gave at being called that. 

“Sorry. John. You offered to help Yusuf test a new compound he’d been working on. It’s supposed to make the dream fill in seamlessly with reality. The mark will ‘remember’ how they got there. They won’t be able to pick up on any differences. And it worked.” She continued. 

“To well.” He heard Yusuf mutter to himself. 

“I can’t have been a dream. I was there for years and I only went through one ‘kick.’ So you would have had to have me under for days, weeks even.” 

“3 hours.”

“What Yusuf?” 

“You were only under for three hours. I wasn’t aiming for an expansion of the timeframe on the first level. This is fascinating. So you say a projection of Eames then?” 

“Yes. And he… he… wasn’t Eames.” Johns whole body went tight as he thought of the monster in his dream. 

“No he wasn’t. He was a projection.” The tone Ariadne was taking with him now only made him more frustrated every time she spoke. 

“Dammit! He wasn’t Eames. After he killed you and Cobb and the kids he became someone else. Bane. And it happened.” John ground out the last three words.

“If it happened why am I here? If Eames killed me how am I talking to you now?” 

“I don’t know.” Johns voice was small almost childlike. 

“Let’s just give some time to settle okay.” Yusuf spoke up. 

\-------

John was awoken by the loud banging on his hotel room door. 

“Arthur, please open the door. I know you’re in there. Front desk said you hadn’t checked out yet. Arthur.”

John slowly made it towards the door, wiping the sleep out of his eyes as he went. 

“What do you want Ariadne?” 

He looked though the peep hole in the door and saw Ariadne was standing awkwardly looking around the hallway with her hands fidgeting with the ends of her scarf. 

“I just want to make sure you’re alright. Can I come in?”

John let out a heavy a sigh and opened the door for her. 

“I asked what room you were in at the front desk and they said that they has no record of an Arthur Lloyd staying here.” 

John didn’t meet her gaze, he couldn’t stand to see the pitying look in her eyes. 

“I thought you got over this Arthur. You told me you knew Gotham was just a dream and that John Blake wasn’t real.” 

“So you keep saying. And I’m trying to believe you I really really am. But you weren’t there. You cannot possibly understand how difficult it is for me to pull the two apart.” 

“I’m sorry Arthur. You know Yusuf feels terrible about this. If we’d known what the dream would have done to you we never would have asked to help you test it.” 

John moved quickly and grabbed both of Ariadne’s wrists and told her, “You have to promise me that no one else will ever go under with that compound. Promise me.” 

Ariadne’s silent, her mouth slightly opened, as she stares at him. Eventually she just nodded at him. 

John went to speak again when he heard movement outside his hotel door. 

“Ari, what’s taking so long? All you had to do was get him and bring him downstairs. We’re going to lose the table if you don’t move it.”

“Eames?”

Eames walked into the room then with a large smile pulled across his face. “Hello, love. Ari was telling me you’ve been having a rough trot the last few weeks.” 

Eames smile had quickly dropped when he saw Arthur move towards him with a fist ready to punch him. 

He managed to block the fist aiming for his face, but the force of Johns body colliding with his own sent them both down to the floor. 

“Bloody hell, Arthur. What is wrong with you?”

With his back against the floor Eames arms moved in front of his to protect himself from the unrelenting blows John was aiming at him. 

“Arthur, stop! You’re hurting him. Please!” John could hardly hear Ariadne’s desperate plea for him to stop over the roaring sound in his ears. His anger towards Bane and all he had done was consuming him and he was finally going to put an end to him. 

Eames managed to bring his knee into Johns stomach and send him backwards. Eames had used the moment to his advantage had pinned the slightly smaller man to the floor. 

The anger and hatred was clear in his eyes and Eames couldn’t bring himself to look into them. 

“What was all that about?” Eames words were laboured as he pushed out each breath. 

John struggled beneath him as he tried to push him off. 

“Maybe it would be best if you waited downstairs, Eames.” Ariadne was visibly shaken from the violent display. 

Eames had quickly moved off John and quietly left the room he only looked back when he reached the door and saw John still on the floor his eyes still staring back at him clear rage. 

“He was only here to help.” 

“He is a monster. There is no way he would help me.” Ariadne visibly flinched at his words. 

“Oh Arthur.” Ariadne said nothing more as she left the room leaving John on his own. 

After pulling himself up off of the floor he moved over to his laptop and refreshed the Gotham Times website has he had been doing since he ‘woke.’ It remained the same, no mention of Bane or the bomb detonating. 

John would almost believe it was a dream but too many details were making it seem real. 

According to the Wayne Enterprises site the company had created the world’s first sustainable energy fusion reactor. 

And Wayne was a recluse, as he had been for the past eight years. 

Leonard Pavel had died in a plane crash and no matter how hard John tried he just couldn’t deny that it had happened. 

Or it was happening again. John felt his mind going around his circles trying to put the details together and trying to make them fit. But it wouldn’t work. Nothing made sense to him anymore. 

John is broken from his thoughts when he hears Ariadne slip back into the room. 

“I don’t know what your issue is with Eames but that was uncalled for. You could have seriously hurt someone.” 

“That was my intention.” John shut down the laptop and pushed it away from himself to look up at Ariadne who had moved to stand behind him. 

“Do you have any idea what it took to calm him down? He’s panicking over what he did to make you so angry.” There was an anger is her voice John had never heard before, and never wanted to hear again. 

“I’m sorry that you had to see that. But I’m not sorry I did it. What did you say to him when you both left?” 

“That it would be best that he stayed away from you. At least until we figure out this entire mess.” 

John though about Banes promises to never let him go and was suddenly fearful for Eames reaction in front of Ariadne. 

“How… how did he take that?” 

“Well he obviously didn’t like it. But he understands. You need to get help Arthur. Help none of us seem to be able to give you. I’ve got to get going but you can always call me alright.” 

\----

After three more days in the hotel room Arthur eventually moved back stateside to his home in New York.

He had started to realise that everything that happened in Gotham had been a dream and that Yusufs compound was truly a success. 

After several months he decided it was time to call Eames and apologise. 

Arthur was surprised when he answered on the second ring. 

“I need to apologise for my behaviour. It was uncalled for and I know you didn’t deserve it.” Arthur cringed at how formal and rehearsed his words sounded. 

“Hello, Darling.” It was then that Arthur realised he’d hadn’t bothered to say hello or ask how Eames was. 

“Hi. Sorry, I’m just nervous.” 

“I was starting to think I’d never hear from you again. That you would never get better.” 

They were both silent for a moment before Eames spoke again. 

“I didn’t mean it like that. We never thought you were sick or…” 

“Crazy.” Arthur finished for him. 

“Yeah.” 

“I am better though, Eames. I can tell the difference now. What memories really happened and what… didn’t.” 

“That is bloody brilliant. Really Arthur.” He could hear the smile in Eames voice and it made him smile too. 

“I was wondering now that… things are good again. If you want… it you would like… oh fuck it I sound like a teenager. Do you want to meet up? I’m in New York at the moment so if you can get here…” 

“I would love to.” 

“Alright. Well whenever you can get here.” 

“I’m already in New York, Arthur.” 

“Oh. Well that’s convenient then. You have a job here?” 

“No. I know Ariadne told me it would be best to stay away. But I had to make sure you were okay. You just weren’t acting like yourself last time and I need to make sure you were safe. I’m sorry.” 

Arthur had to fight off the thoughts of Bane and his promise. He found himself getting angry and wanting to know why Eames couldn’t just stay away like he was told. 

“It’s fine.” The change in the tone of Arthurs voice was obvious and immediately changed the conversation. 

Eames quietly told him a time and place for them to meet and Arthur hung up. 

\---

The café Eames had chosen was down an alley. 

Eames was already waiting by the time Arthur arrived. 

“Morning love.”

“Hello Eames.” 

“I’m sorry about what I said on the phone. I know you’re angry about me keeping an eye on you.” 

Arthur sat down with a heavy sigh and watched wearily as he took his seat. 

“You have no idea what happened in that dream or how real it seems… seemed to me. When Ariadne asked you to keep away there was a very good reason for it.” 

“Arthur. For whatever happened while you were under. For whatever I may have done I need you to know how sorry I am it happened.” 

“Don’t. Please. Just don’t. If you apologize you make it real. Please don’t.”

Eames didn’t say anything he just nodded. 

“I am grateful you wanted to keep me safe. Thank you.” 

“I will never stop trying to keep you safe Arthur. Never.” 

Arthur had felt the room around himself start to spin. His whole body felt numb and he couldn’t hear a word Eames spoke. 

He just thought back to a night in Santa Prisca and the same promise repeated over and over again in Gotham. 

“What did you just say?” Arthurs voice was low and stopped Eames immediately mid-sentence.

“That I really should have said that long before now. Have you been listening to anything I said?”

“Not that. Before that.”

“That I’ll never stop trying to keep you safe. And I won’t Arthur I promise. You mean more to me than…”

Arthur ran out of the café and down the street before Eames finished. 

“Arthur! Arthur!” Eames chased after him. 

The world turned to a blur as he ran down the busy New York streets. Bumping into people as he passed but never slowing down. 

The only thoughts occupying his mind were that he was right. It wasn’t a dream. And Bane never really was going to let him go. 

He went into his apartment. He didn’t bother to look the door. He doubted it would stop Bane if he decided to come after him. 

He went into his room and pulled one of his guns out of their hold in his wardrobe. 

He was sitting on the end of his bed with the barrel pressed against his temple when he heard the footsteps down stairs. 

He took in a deep breath but something stopped him from pulling the trigger. 

“No. Arthur not this.” Bane made to move towards him but John held the gun tighter and told him not to move. 

“I knew I was right. I knew it wasn’t a dream. That everything in Gotham and before happened. I knew I’d never really get away from you Bane.”

“What are you saying?” Tears were running down Eames face, as he watched Arthurs grip on the gun loosen and then tighten repeatedly with a small shake taking control of his body. 

“This is the only way.” 

“No it’s not. If you want me to stay away I will. Just… don’t do this.” Eames words were broken with sobs. 

“It’s not enough.” Arthur stop shaking and pressed the gun tighter to his temple. Before Eames could move to stop him he pulled the trigger. 

Blood stained along the bed, carpet, wall and Eames as Arthurs body fell down off of the bed and to the floor with the a small thud. 

Eames just stared down at him in silence roughly running his hands over his face trying to get rid of the blood that covered him. 

“No. no no no. Arthur wake up. You need to wake up. Please darling. Wake up.” He knelt down beside the body and grasped Arthurs shoulders, shaking him and trying to rouse him. 

Eventually he stopped and turned his attention to the now discarded gun and looked down at Arthur were he laid lifeless. 

“I’m sorry Darling. I was wrong. I can’t leave you alone.” And then turned the gun on himself.


	6. Chapter Six - Bonus Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Sugar Dumpling, INKY, and Koala.   
> Shameless self promotion: http://captainbubblygreenbubbles.tumblr.com/

Arthurs eyes squinted as he opened them to the sunlight streaming through the crack in the hotel curtains. 

He rolled over away from the light and saw a tourist brochure laying on his next to his bedside lamp. Sydney, he was in Sydney. The last time he could remember being there was the Fisher job. He remembered the Inception like it had only just happened. But he knew it had been years. 

Years since Gotham and the bomb?

Months since the warehouse and waking up?

Days since waiting for Eames in his apartment with a gun? 

He started to think they’d all been dreams. Arthur checked his arms, no sign of a needle injection. He checked the rest of his body. He hadn’t recently been under. 

He briefly considered that it had all been a natural dream. His first in years, but no natural dream had ever felt that real to him. 

He checked himself again and again over the following hour and every time he didn’t find the PASIV injection point he knew was eluding him.

Eventually he started looking around the room for proof someone else had been there. 

He couldn’t bring himself to believe that any of that had been a natural dream. 

\-----

Ariadnes voice came through the receiver of the phone in Arthurs hotel room, “So to get away from Bane you shot yourself in the head?”

Her confusion over Arthurs retelling of the dream, dreams was clear. Arthur couldn’t blame her for it he couldn’t even get the chain of events straight. 

“No, I, John, pressed the trigger to the bomb to get away from Bane. I shot myself to get away from Eames.” 

“Okay so John is your real name then?” 

Arthur was silent for a moment before he answered her, “Yes, I decided early on in my career that it would be better for everyone if I went under an alias. Arthur Lloyd is the main one.” 

“I’m just going to keep calling you Arthur. You don’t much look like a John.” 

Arthur let out his first real laugh in days. “Thanks.” 

“Maybe you should talk to Dom about this.” 

He went to speak, and tell her that he can’t disturb him now. 

“One phone call isn’t going to ruin the life has now. I’m sure the kids won’t mind sparing him for a five minute phone.” 

“Five minutes? That’s rather ambitious.” 

“Shut up, you know what I mean. Just call him alright.”

They both quickly offered their goodbyes and hang up. 

Arthur sits on the end of his unmade hotel bed staring at the phone hoping it would spontaneously combust and he wouldn’t have to call Cobb. 

He didn’t realise how intently he was staring until the phone started to ring and he felt as though the heart ha jumped into the back of his throat. 

It let it ring several more times before he finally went to pick up. 

“Ariadne said you needed to talk to me. She also said you wouldn’t call yourself.” Dom said without bothering to say hello. 

“I didn’t want to bother you.” Arthurs voice was quiet. Like a child who’d just been scolded. 

“She says you might be in trouble. Arthur after all you’ve done for me let me help you. Please.” 

Arthur nods his head before he realizes Dom can’t see him. 

“Yeah, alright.” 

“What’s happened?”

Arthur explained to him the two levels of his dream. While he was talking he was rolling his totem along the surface of the hotel room desk. Each time it came up a six. 

After he finishes telling the story Cobb is quiet, and he stayed quiet for a time that made Arthur start to fidget and fight the urge to just hang up. 

“And have you tried your totem since you woke up?” 

Arthur scoffed at the question. Of course he had checked is totem. 

“Yes.” His response was short and clipped. 

“Okay. Just making sure. How long since you had this dream?”

“About a week ago.” Arthur ran a hand along the back his neck almost looking bashful at the comment. 

“And you’re only telling me now? Dammit Arthur, the kind of team it would take to pull off a dream like that.” –Dom pauses for a moment, clearly trying to rain in his temper. — “That doesn’t sound like a natural dream. It sounds like someone’s paid out for an extraction on you. My guess is they were after information that can’t get off the network. Like your real name. Thanks for telling me about that by the way.” 

“What difference would it have made to you if I was Arthur or John?”

“I thought we trusted each other. And now I found out you don’t even trust me with your real name.”

“Of course I trust you Dom. You’ve never given me reason not to.” 

Arthur was surprised by the small laugh he heard from the receiver. 

“That is certainly a change in your tune from a month ago.” 

“What do you mean?” Arthur started to feel confused and panicked over what he was missing. 

“After the Fisher job, I could have sworn with the looks you and Eames were giving me on the plane I would never hear from either of you again.” 

“What’s the Fisher Job?”

“I’m getting on the first flight to Sydney Arthur. This is worse than I thought.” 

Cobb hung up on him before he had a chance to tell him no. 

\------

It was four days before Cobb showed up at Arthur’s hotel with Ariadne and Yusuf not far behind him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing them?” Arthur asked Cobb when he managed to corner the older man way from the others.

“We’re going to go under and see what damage has been done. See if whoever went in your head left anything behind we can find them with.” 

Arthur had started shaking his head. He clearly didn’t like the idea. He already felt like his mind had been messed around with enough. 

“Please Arthur. I can’t lose you to. I’m starting to worry alright. You’re acting… you’re acting like Mal did in the beginning.” Arthur shrank back at the pain in Cobbs words. 

“Alright, just once, and on just one level.”

The pair both moved back to Ariadne and Yusuf, both of whom had moved a chair closer to the bed. Ariadne was already lying down needle in her arm waiting for Dom and Arthur to join her.

Dom sat next to her on the edge of the bed and Arthur to the seat. Yusuf made quick work of connecting them both. 

“I’ve got it set for five minutes. That enough.” 

Dom took one look at Arthur and then quickly nodded. Arthur was leaning back against the seat. His eyes already closed and fingers tapping against the arm rest. Just waiting. 

Yusuf pushed the button down and watched Ariadne and Cob fall into the dream and then looked over at Arthur and noticed his fingers where still tapping against the armrest. 

“Arthur?” 

“Mhmm?” Arthur didn’t open his eyes or make any more to look at him.

“Ari? Cobb?” Yusuf received no reply. Both were under. 

Arthur opened his eyes and leaned forward towards the machine. Silently checking the line was connected properly and the needle was in a vain. 

“Didn’t it work?”

“It worked for them.” Yusuf made a small gesture towards Ariadne and Cobb, than he looked back towards Arthur. 

“What’s happening to me?” Arthurs voice sounded so broken as he asked and all Yusuf could do was shake his head sadly and offer nothing more than a, “Sorry mate.” 

“Where’s Eames? Didn’t Cobb call him?” 

“He’s in Mombasa. Cobb called us both. Told us what was happening. Eames said he could do it.” 

“Do what? Help me?” Arthur ripped the needle out of his arm causing a trickle of blood to run down his arm. 

“He said he couldn’t see you suffering. That’s why he isn’t here.” 

Arthur knows that it shouldn’t bother him. He never wanted Bane. He stops his thoughts there and reminds himself it was just a dream. 

He just nods at Yusuf and tries to hide the hurt from his face. 

They both wait for Ariadne and Cobb to wake up; all the while Yusuf asks Arthur the occasional question about why the chemical isn’t working on him. 

They both spot the first stirrings of them waking up. 

“Arthur what happened. Did you shoot yourself out? Ariadne and I looked everywhere for you.” There was no anger to Doms tone, only confusion. 

With his head in his hands, the frustration of the days since he had the dream finally falling heavily on his shoulders, Arthur replied. 

“It didn’t work. I can’t go under. I can’t dream anymore.” 

He didn’t look up when he felt Ariadnes hand rub small circles on his shoulder. 

“Could you all just please go.” 

Nobody said a word to Arthur as they all packed. Yusuf and Ariadne left but Dom stayed behind. 

“We are all staying in a hotel a few blocks away. I wrote down the address. Room numbers. Phones numbers. So when you’re ready we’ll be there.” After that he quickly left. 

Arthur waited till he heard the sound of the door licking as it closed. After he moved around the room, fixing the furniture, tidying the small mess left behind by the others. Once he finished he turned all the lights of inside the room and laid down on his bed facing the celling. 

Thoughts of Eames and Bane consumed his mind. Hatred started to cloud his thoughts. He’d always liked Eames, but lingering memories from his dream were causing him to sound guess his friendship he had with the other man. 

The sounds of the lock on the door moving get Arthur’s attention and caused him sit straight on the end of the bed. 

The light from the hallway outside helped him make out Eames form as he stood in the doorway. 

“Arthur?” 

“I thought you weren’t coming.” 

Eames turned the light one and it caused Arthur to block his eyes. Eames muttered a quick sorry than sat down on one of the chairs. 

“I can’t go near Cobb at the moment without punching him. I figured that was the last thing you needed. So I waited until they left. Make sure you were alright after whatever it is they’ve done.” 

“Why would you need to check up on me after them?” 

“Arthur I wouldn’t trust Cobb as far as I could bloody throw him after the Fisher disaster.” 

“What is the Fisher job? Dom mentioned it but didn’t explain it.” Arthur asked him. 

“Christ what has happened to you? Inception Arthur, we preformed inception. How can you not remember that?” 

Eames flinched back as one of the bedside lamps collided with the wall across from the bed. 

“Arthur, calm down.” Eames jumped up from the chair over to Arthur. 

Arthur tried to fight against Eames hold on his wrists. 

“Let go of me.” His voice came out as a snarl while he struggled. 

“I can’t do that. You’ll just hurt yourself. You need to calm down love.” 

Arthur suddenly went still in Eames hold. 

“Do not tell me to calm down. You don’t get to tell me to calm down. None of you do. You don’t know how this feels.” 

Eames loosened his grip and moved Arthur over towards one of the lounge chairs. 

“I know Arthur. I know.” 

The pair sat in silence while Arthur attempted to calm himself. 

“I wasn’t going to come at first. When Cobb called.” Eames sat across from him. 

“Why?”

“Because after you got shot on the first level of the Fisher dream, after the first two kicks, I honestly thought I was going to lose you to limbo. But you held on long enough to make it through the last kick. In those moments when I really thought I was going to lose you I honestly just wanted to die.” Eames paused for a moment, looking down at his hands, “Admittedly it was rather selfish of me.” 

“I don’t remember any of that.” 

Eames just nodded. He already knew. 

“You were in the dream. It all centred around you.” 

“Should I be flattered Darling?”

“No.”

They sat in silence again before Arthur started asking him questions. 

“If I said that it would change everything for the better, would you sleep with me?” Arthurs looked all around the room while he spoke, his gaze never fell on Eames. 

Eames was visibly confused by the question. 

“What do you mean change things for the better?” 

“If I accepted you to begin with. If I want you like you want me than things could be different.” 

He stopped and looked Eames right in the eyes with a look the other man couldn’t figure out. 

“If there was anyone coming between us, anyone keeping us apart. Would you kill them to make me happy?” 

“Yes.” 

“And if I told you I wanted you to give me a city what would you do?”

“I’d give you the world.” 

Before Arthur could ask him anymore questions Eames all but ran out of the room. 

Arthur stayed in his seat rolling his loaded die along the arm rest. It always landed on the six. 

\------

It had been months since Sydney. Arthur still couldn’t remember the Fisher job, but he was stable enough to return to dream share. 

He didn’t work with Cobb anymore so he was with a new team on a job in Santa Prisca. 

It’s there he heard from Eames for the first time in months. Calling him saying he was in the neighbourhood. 

After the dream and Sydney he decided it was best if he avoided Eames, so the sudden call surprised him. 

“A little birdy told me you’re in Santa Prisca. Right around the corner apparently.” 

But not as much as Eames showing up and told him the good news. 

“They’ve been keeping us apart. All of them, and I couldn’t let them anymore.”


End file.
